Materials:
7x7x3/4" steel plate
10' of 3/4" square steel tubing
5 colors of el wire, each color is a single strand approximately 8ft, each color forms a "band" of parallel strands, 10 strands wide, each strand is 2.2mm thick
EL Wire splitter 5-output
12 VDC EL Wire inverter capable of lighting 27-40 ft
12 VDC Wall transformer
Tools:
More than you're likely to have lying around the house. I do all my work at TechShop in San Francisco
manual mill/cnc tormach
bandsaw
drill & tap
weldor
angle grinder
powder coater
soldering iron
7x7x3/4" steel plate
10' of 3/4" square steel tubing
5 colors of el wire, each color is a single strand approximately 8ft, each color forms a "band" of parallel strands, 10 strands wide, each strand is 2.2mm thick
EL Wire splitter 5-output
12 VDC EL Wire inverter capable of lighting 27-40 ft
12 VDC Wall transformer
Tools:
More than you're likely to have lying around the house. I do all my work at TechShop in San Francisco
manual mill/cnc tormach
bandsaw
drill & tap
weldor
angle grinder
powder coater
soldering iron
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Signing UpStep 1: 3D Model
Design the location of the wires in a 3D modeling program (or just use my design). You don't need the cube to be structurally accurate for this part (ie: made up of hollow bars, etc), you're just trying to figure out the spacing and placement of the wires so that none of the color bands collide with the others.
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I just have a question. Since EL needs AC, couldn't just plug 220VAC from wall directly to the EL wire? I mean, you are converting 220VAC to 12VDC just to invert it again. Maybe 220VAC is too much, but using a voltage regulator could do the trick.
I ordered:
- 40' of 2.2mm EL Wire, in 5 8' strands of different colors,
- 5 way splitter
- 12 VDC EL Wire inverter capable of lighting 27-40 ft
- 12 VDC Wall transformer
- 5-Pack of connectors + heat shrink tubing
I was very pleased with everything that I received, except that one color of the wire (Purple) did not glow as bright as the others (Power Green, Dark Blue, Orange, Red). That's just an unfortunate issue when working with EL wire is that different colors will glow with different intensities.That's when I found a nearby place called Fun House Productions in Oakland. They mostly distribute through their website, but I was able to go into their office and see all the colors of wire that they sold so that I could be sure that the wire I chose would match my 4 other colors in brightness. While I was there I bought a toggle switch and extension wire that they recommended in answer to my questions regarding a power switch. They were able to answer my questions and ensured that I didn't attach a switch the wrong section of wire and blow my inverter.
If you live in the Bay Area I highly recommend going to Fun House Productions in person as they're incredibly helpful and it helps to see what you're buying in person. If not, either site should ship similar quality products.
Of course I'm kidding and I sent you one of my scarce patches to prove it.
I think one of the highest compliments you can give a person here is:
"that gives me an idea!" And yours did.
A lights low or off pic would be nice, as Awesome said.
But alas, until I master that skill, I'm stuck building 30lb indestructible sculptures.
Can't wait to see your idea come to fruition.
As for the much requested low lights pic, it will have to wait until I visit my cube in Canada, prolly around Christmastime. The recipient of the cube isn't much a photographer.
I remember one day my boss thought he could weld better than me, I'd been welding for months by then, he couldn't strike an arc, so I set the current for him, then he couln't keep a bead, so I set the gas and feed speed for him, then he kept sticking the wire so I set up the right tip for him, by then he figured out if I wasn't doing it his way, it was for a reason, still makes me smile.
If you have access to a wire feed welder I would encourage you to try a few practice welds, if nothing else it's alot easier to grind down a lumpy alu weld.